Guess I bought my last Lee mold.

[Tackleberry41]

I guess we all start with Lee at some point, beginners. And they CAN cast decent bullets, but usually only by luck out of the box or after messing with them. A kit as some say. Wouldn't think it would be so difficult for Lee to make a mold that will cast bullets that will be sized by a Lee sizer of the correct size, but seems pretty rare. The .430 310gr that came in the mail other day, now it casts 430, but not out of the box. The 452 300gr that came at the same time, its going back. Not even close to 452, and you have to watch the alignment when it closes, make sure its right. Wanted 2 so I could HP one of them. But think will just save me alot of effort and frustration to just go pay for a good mold.

[376Steyr]

Lee moulds are an excellent value for the money, and I'm most grateful that they are available to get new casters introduced to the hobby.

[tinhorn97062]

I cast with a Lee mold. I had to beagle it to drop a larger boolit, but otherwise it casts just fine. I'm unable to drop $100 on a nice custom mold at this time, so the $20 Lee mold made it possible for me to get up and running.

[williamwaco]

I guess we all start with Lee at some point, beginners. And they CAN cast decent bullets, but usually only by luck out of the box or after messing with them. A kit as some say. Wouldn't think it would be so difficult for Lee to make a mold that will cast bullets that will be sized by a Lee sizer of the correct size, but seems pretty rare. The .430 310gr that came in the mail other day, now it casts 430, but not out of the box. The 452 300gr that came at the same time, its going back. Not even close to 452, and you have to watch the alignment when it closes, make sure its right. Wanted 2 so I could HP one of them. But think will just save me alot of effort and frustration to just go pay for a good mold.


+1

Lee molds USED TO BE a good value. The last four or five I have bought were SERIOUSLY undersized and had other defects.
( The word "KIT" seems appropriate.)

9mm dropping at .354.

430 dropping at .427

The last .358 six cavity I bought was so warped the blocks would not close. ( mate )

Yes I know they have good Customer Service but they are so cheap I can buy a new two cavity for about 4$ more than It costs to return the defective one. and a lot faster.

I am finished. I would rather have one good mold than a shelf full of "Kits".

[Schrag4]

I've only been casting a short while compared to most here. I agree that a low-quality, low-priced alternative is needed to let newbies like me dip our toes into the water. I understand that my Lee mold is low-quality, although it's working well for what I'm doing. I suspect when I decide to, or am forced to get a different mold, I'll spend more for some quality. I'm pretty happy with the groups and velocity that I'm getting with the combination of these projectiles, the propellant, and the gun I'm shooting them from, so I hope I'm not forced to change any of those factors any time soon, even if it is for a step up in mold quality.

TL/DR: Anecdotal evidence - my mold works fine, but I would spend more next time.

[toallmy]

40 bucks for a 6 banger it gets it going. I like my hard molds but 175 for a 4 hole or 90 for 2hole can stop you from trying to many.

[GhostHawk]

I am currently up to 12 Lee molds, all 2 cavity except my .224 Bator is a 6.

Quality control seems to run in streaks. Good for a while, then some rejects, good again for a while.

Maybe I have been lucky. Some do run a bit smaller than I would like but a quick beagle job on 2-3 fixed that.

I have actually had worse luck on sizing kits than molds where size is concerned.
Maybe I was lucky, maybe they like the alloys I have been using.

I have had a few with small issues, but nothing that half an hour and some figuring couldn't fix.

If you would rather spend 90-150$ per mold, go ahead. Certainly a valid option. And no one will blame you.

My question Is I guess is it the molds that are faulty or your expectations? If the later is it really fair to drag Lee's name through the mud?

[stubert]

My Lee 430-310 casts at .432 I guess i got lucky.

[sparky45]

I ran a Lee 35-158 six banger that I recently bought and after tapping one of the alignment pins back a smidge she opened and closed just fine. I took a Butane lighter and smoked the cavities and placed her on my hot plate while the alloy heated. From the first try to the last, she dropped each bullet without even tapping the mold. Sprue cut easy and in less than a couple of hours I had 400 + slugs. They measured 158 - 160 grs and .358 - .359" in diameter and of those measured they are concentric. I'm pleased.

[bangerjim]

I have over 45 Lee molds, mostly 6 cavity, and all are excellent quality and drop on-size and in-round boolits. So do the 2 cavity. No complaints. At all.

I also own several SAECO, NOE and MiHec brass & Fe 4,5,6 cav molds. Are they better. Yes. But they cost 2-4X what the Lee does and the boolits shoot the same. For me.

For those starting out or trying to do everything on the cheeeeeep ( as many on here seem to try to always do) the Lee products offer excellent results......at least for me. And I recommend them to anyone that does not have a lot of money to burn.

bangerjim

[brtelec]

I buy Lee molds unless I need something they do not offer. I have only had a problem with one mold that threw undersize bullets. I sent it back and was sent a replacement.

[mozeppa]

i have 3 accurate molds and 8 hardline molds...all iron....couldn't be happier.

used to have 19 lee molds....they are someone elses problem now.

[Tackleberry41]

Be nice if they would make up their mind which threads they are going to use on the spru plate. Got a brand new one, design change I guess, has the very visible circular marks on top. Its a left hand screw, one of my other ones I was messing with is left, but then next one I use is right hand.

Some of their molds I have not had issues with, round ball molds have been good, guess hard to screw those up. But these 2 new ones way undersized. One before that was fine. And I wish they would forego the 'free' handles that can't be removed, and put that money into making better molds. I think most of us would pay say $30 for just the blocks if they were not so dang hit and miss. But they seem to be getting flimsier now than they used to. I sent one back before, one of their R.E.A.L molds, it cast bullets that just dropped down the barrel. Of course it was me, not the mold, I didn't mark it or anything to know if they switched them and sent a form letter detailing what I was doing wrong.

Yes its true we all need someplace to start, just that with their hit or miss molds. You might get a good one and everything go fine, but might get a bad one and spend hours frustrated wondering what your doing wrong when its the mold.

[youngmman]

I started casting in the late 1980's and from the get go I adhered to policy I have always used with hobbies and that is if I couldn't afford good quality I saved until I could so I have never had the pleasure of being frustrated with Lee products of any kind. I do have a nice collection of original H&G's, LBT's and the like with a Magma pot.

I couldn't be happier.

[taco650]

I'm a noob on the casting thing and now own 4 Lee 2-holers. I went cheap because I wasn't sure I'd like it and didn't want to put out $75-100 for a "good" mold. My luck with them has been decent for the most part. Tried my two newest ones for the first time today. One worked great (429-240 SWCGC), the bullets just fell out with a shake of the handles or simply gravity! The other mold, a 358-158 SWCGC, had to be hit on the nut repeatedly to get them to fall out. I smoked it with a lighter several times and it got better but still had to hit it. I also scraped for burrs on the edges but its still a battle. This mold is also dropping them at around 161gr with the range scrap alloy I used. These will work fine for my standard pressure 38 special loads.

Would an NOE give better results? Probably but I'm satisfied with the results I've gotten from all my Lee molds. I also like to tinker with things so having to babysit a mold to get it to work good isn't a problem but rather an opportunity. Guess it depends on your perspective. Someday I may upgrade to the higher end molds but until then, I'll just stay the course with Lee.

[Harter66]

I had good luck with the Lee moulds . I've had as many as 15 at 1 time . I have several 6C moulds and they ran fine right out of the box. I don't need a lot from the 358-125 ,401-175 and 452-255 , 5" at 50 yd is good enough. Those 3 and the 00B are great . The Bator 2c is 2nd hand and was fussed with some it runs great . The 3 30 cal moulds well 1 of them I all but fussed to death but the other 2 run well enough . I'm not sure what it is about the 285-130 but I just don't like it. it's like it's just I don't know, it works, it drops it ,makes boolits ,they go bang and don't muck up the bbl , I just don't like it . The 323-175 I thought I'd never get it to pour right it wrinkled everything I poured in it and it didn't fit the 8mm for beans . Painfully simple fix ....... but lapping the plate was way down the list . The 32 Remington loves it so does the way oversized x39. Both even more so now that it's a plain base. The RB moulds wow where to start the 690 is ok of all the moulds this 1 could have been big like all of the others above but nooooo it has to drop dead on its not even short across the sprue. The double 454 is only 451 across the sprue and that does seal the .449 chambers on the 44 Remington so it can slide some but the 375 double the 1st 1 dropped at 370 and only 365 across the sprue ..... so I put it back thinking that'll make a conical for the 36 Remington 58' some day so 6 months or so later I order another to fill out for free shipping that 1 drops 375 except for the sprue flat and it's worse than the 1st one . Maybe I'll get a better 1 next year.
I've had just 1 that wouldn't shoot and the 2 RB above that will be reworked for something some day. Out of probably 25 2c moulds and 6 6C moulds from the cheap seats I guess I can't complain to loud about destroying 1 ......er.... reworking 1 by foolishness and 2 that will be better off as a larger boolit . I have I think 6 Lyman moulds ,3 RCBS, 5 NOE and an LBT . But I gave 20-30 each for the Lyman singles and 60 for the double and about the same for the RCBS and just 40 for the LBT but those were all 2nd hand (or 4th). The NOE moulds are all new to me and the 4c and 5 c are just under 2x the money of Lee 6-cavity moulds but only 1 of the CAL are available in a Lee 6C and unless I NEED a mould that happens to be in a 6C Lee or the next 375 is right I'm probably done buying their moulds . ( In chorus now "never say never ") . It is also 100% guaranteed that I wouldn't have gotten into casting without them .

In Aviation we sometimes buy cheap tools , end wrenches and sockets most notably because you sometimes have to chop them up,grind them down or bend them into bizarre offsets to reach a particular bolt or nut . Vacuum pumps on Lycoming powered 235 Cherokees come to mind and 185 and 205 Continental up thru the C35 Bonaza.... North American wing bolts on the AT6 too.
Sometimes we buy an inexpensive mould to destroy. ......er......modify to meet a need . Would you lap a $75 NOE 327-*** up to fit a 329 8mm ? No not likely would you buy a $100 custom to see if the slopped out bore would shoot ? Me neither . Without a 338 around I wouldn't buy a standard to size down either . So there it is . Lee makes a perfectly suited tool for the beginner and experienced user and they are value priced so your beginner can learn and if they should mangle it there is only a little lost . Meanwhile the more experienced user can cheaply alter a mould to try something in a bbl that is uncooperative with the standards.

[shoot-n-lead]

I have really been pleased with the Lee molds that I have used over the years. A couple have needed a little attention...but most have worked as advertised, right out of the box and the price can't be beat. And, I do not hesitate to recommend them to folks, when they inquire.

[retread]

I have pretty well rid myself of the old style Lee 2 cavity molds. I have a couple of the new style 2 cavity that are ok. I have around 8 6-cavity molds that I am very happy with. I do however immediately change the sprue plate for a good machined steel one to avoid the galling problems with aluminum on aluminum that I had with an earlier mold that I used with the factory plate. I think the 6 cavity are an excellent buy.

[TXGunNut]

I have a couple of ball moulds and 2-c moulds but mostly prefer the 6-c moulds. Many of those were sold by Ranch Dog so I suspect they were held to a higher standard. The only one that was a bit fussy was a 2-c copy of the 68 but I only bought it because I was too cheap to buy a 6-c to see if my 45's liked it. I also like the TL design, Lee sizers and of course LLA for many applications so I'll always have a few Lee moulds around.

[Gtek]

Step one, remove from box and immediately remove sprue pivot screw without even touching plate. Second step, clean all lower edges and check sprue hole for carry through and detail as needed. Third is to understand you just bought a twenty dollar scratch off, good luck. Yes I have a couple, yes I use them and they are what they are.

[SSGOldfart]

I really like most of the Lee molds,I've got over a 100 now and maybe 3 or 4 that might need some work or help.I guess it's all a matter of opinion, Noe makes a good mold but your going to pay for it. where you can get 4 or 5 Lee molds for the same money. A small bit of advice by used 2nd hand Lee molds,they might look it,but the problems if any have been worked out already..

[CHeatermk3]

I'm left-handed and I ladle cast.

Turning the blocks around on the new molds is quite iffy, unless you can drill and tap for new handle mounting screws if those things the factory uses don't go back in right...they are about 2 TPI.

[rbuck351]

I have several Lee molds and I have good enough luck with the pistol caliber molds. I also have 5 or 6 nose rider rifle molds that don't come anywhere near being nose riders. I would rather they made oversized loverin style molds than nose riders with the nose to small. It's real easy to size a boolit down a bit. Getting a .005 under size nose up to size isn't so easy.

[robg]

ive got 4 lee moulds 2 rcbs moulds all work well ,i like the lee moulds their light weight makes up for any tuning you have do to them and their low price cant be be beat

[LUCKYDAWG13]

My Lee 430-310 casts at .432 I guess i got lucky.

me too good mold

[Tackleberry41]

I'm left-handed and I ladle cast.

Turning the blocks around on the new molds is quite iffy, unless you can drill and tap for new handle mounting screws if those things the factory uses don't go back in right...they are about 2 TPI.

I'M a lefty and ladle cast alot, never saw an issue w the way molds are. Almost seems like their backwards for righties. Can hold the handles with my right hand, ladle with the left. Easy to bust the sprue loose. Guess just get used to it.

Will see how the 'screws' do. They look like screws, but have never actually gotten any out, even on a mold fresh out of the box, I think they press them in, saves money vs threading. I drilled a set yesterday, don't imagine they would fit in the lathe with the handles. Go to the next step up, if it works Ill do some of the other molds. Be nice if it was just the blocks, you know like every other mold on planet earth. Take up way less space on the shelf.

I guess I just got a pair of particularly bad molds. When I am trying to make a bunch of bullets with a 2 bullet mold, times I think be nice to have this in a 6 banger. But then that would be 6 holes to fix vs 2. Probably still a cloud of obscenities hanging in the garage.

[Maximumbob54]

I always wonder how many of the Lee complaints are operator error. Heat up the mold, smoke it if needed like the directions tell you, keep it lubed, don't bash the mold blocks, use the right alloy, and poof all my Lee molds work just fine. It may take some effort to learn how to use any mold and get it to drop good bullets. And if you dish out the high dollar price for a custom mold, I've found even some of those can be a pain.

[rintinglen]

Although many argue with some reason that the low cost of the LEE molds affords the new would-be caster an economical means of testing the waters, I suspect that the difficulties in getting good bullets from them has repelled as many as it has brought into the fold. I own and use a number of LEE molds, but I absolutely affirm and believe that it is Much easier to learn to cast with a quality Iron/steel mold. Sometimes it is false economy to buy cheap.

In my view, the LEE molds are best suited for the fickle experienced caster--like myself--whose interests vary with the seasons and who already know how to coax good boolits from a recalcitrant mold. For me, it is a cheap way to try a different style or weight boolit. But it is not what I would choose to teach a newbie how to cast. I'd use a 44-45 caliber RCBS, SAECO, or Lyman for that.

[psweigle]

I don't have a problem at all with my cheap little 158 grain round nose 2 hole. It makes perfect boolits for my Blackhawk and 77/357. I must have made 3000 out of it so far. All with range scrap and all sized in a lee sizer. I would and will buy lee products again. Next one is a .32 caliber pistol mold.

[Uncle R.]

My first moulds many years ago were Lee moulds.
I bought them because they were cheap.
Some of them worked fairly well, some of them didn't work worth a darn. I struggled with perhaps every casting problem you could possibly have as I tried to learn.
I had a mentor, and old experienced caster, who despised Lee moulds. He claimed they were the source of most of my casting troubles and counseled me to buy Lyman or RCBS if I wanted good boolits.
I didn't follow his advice for a long time. I resisted because I didn't want to spend the extra money. I thought the old man was just another grumpy Lee basher.
After a year or two of casting I finally bought my first RCBS mould.
The difference was like night and day.
Easy fill out, easy casting, uniform round boolits.
The bullets from my Lee moulds couldn't match the quality, uniformity or long range accuracy I got from my RCBS Boolits.
The old man was right.
I never looked back.
I won't say I'll never buy another Lee mould, but they are certainly way down toward last choice on my list.

Uncle R.

[bangerjim]

I always wonder how many of the Lee complaints are operator error. Heat up the mold, smoke it if needed like the directions tell you, keep it lubed, don't bash the mold blocks, use the right alloy, and poof all my Lee molds work just fine. It may take some effort to learn how to use any mold and get it to drop good bullets. And if you dish out the high dollar price for a custom mold, I've found even some of those can be a pain.

I will have to agree with that 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mine ALL work great for me. And I DO smoke them the 1st time with a BEESWAX candle to get that nice thin even carbon coat. Many laugh at that, but is does work!!!!!!!!!

Follow the directions and they will give you many years of excellent castings.

Thank the Lord many are coming around to the use of an electric hot plate ($10!) to heat the molds up to full casting temp, and not just warming them on top of the pot. This applies to Lee and ALL other brands and makes/designs of molds we use.

[Electric88]

I will have to agree with that 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mine ALL work great for me. And I DO smoke them the 1st time with a BEESWAX candle to get that nice thin even carbon coat. Many laugh at that, but is does work!!!!!!!!!

Follow the directions and they will give you many years of excellent castings.

Thank the Lord many are coming around to the use of an electric hot plate ($10!) to heat the molds up to full casting temp, and not just warming them on top of the pot. This applies to Lee and ALL other brands and makes/designs of molds we use.

I have a few Lee molds that I bought, but haven't casted with yet. Thanks for these tips for them, I will make sure to follow them!

[MT Chambers]

Most Lee problems are "OPERATOR ERROR".....the operator that produced them made errors.

[Jeff Michel]

Spot on!!!!!!



I will have to agree with that 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mine ALL work great for me. And I DO smoke them the 1st time with a BEESWAX candle to get that nice thin even carbon coat. Many laugh at that, but is does work!!!!!!!!!

Follow the directions and they will give you many years of excellent castings.

Thank the Lord many are coming around to the use of an electric hot plate ($10!) to heat the molds up to full casting temp, and not just warming them on top of the pot. This applies to Lee and ALL other brands and makes/designs of molds we use.

[cold1]

I am a newbie so take it for what its worth. Lee molds have a place in any reloaders bench. A have 5 of them now and they each have a personality. They allowed me to start casting without worrying about wasting $100 to see if casting is for me. They allow me to test different guns with cast to see how they do. They allow me to experiment with different designs to see what I and the guns like. They allow me to to drop a few hundred boolits in a short amount of time.

I like them for pistol bullets to put down range. I like them for rifle bullets to put down range. For serious shooting I bought some NOE molds for my rifle. Havent decided on pistols yet because I have not used them to hunt with, yet.

[Tackleberry41]

Lee has a love/hate following. There are many that hate their stuff. I have plenty of their dies, they do the job. RCBS must have seen that they couldn't justify 2x the price for a sizing die that does the exact same job. But some of Lees stuff is not worth buying, I doubt any of us in here use one of their powder scales. A friend gave me 2 of their ram prime set up, he doesn't even remember where he got them, never used them. It can be frustrating to use at times, and some of the parts are pretty fragile. A good idea, but flawed execution, usually tends to revolve around being cheaper.

This seems to be Lees issue, always trying to be cheap. Some things it works fine for, others it doesn't. Be it the alloy they use in their molds, most may have ruined their molds, I was told by Lee they can take 400 degrees. After that they lose whatever hardening they had, and warp. So have a very narrow temp range to get decent results. Or just not using enough material. There really isnt much to a Lee mold. Its not that its aluminum, the NOE mold I have works beautifully. But theres also 3x the amount of material in the mold. And would imagine they use a higher quality alloy. It has always cast good bullets out of the box, I don't fight with it, or one day its casts good, next day it doesn't. And when they said .314, they meant it. Same with the Lyman 30 cal mold I have, never had a problem with it. I have 2 30 cal Lee molds, neither would throw a .309 bullet out of the box, had to be 'leemented'. Both sit on the shelf unused, okay as plinkers, but not for any serious work.

Yes I have bought Lee molds and they worked fine, their RB molds work pretty good. As does their 12ga slug mold. Their buck shot molds get frustrating pretty quick. I have learned they will cast for a while, then start screwing up, just set it aside. That stack of 3 RB is very temperamental about temp. Have switched to Sharpshooters molds, have yet to have an issue, doesn't really seem to care if the temp is off a bit. Yes Lee molds are good for experimenting, see how something works before shelling out the bucks for better mold. And I have guns I don't do much casting for, no need for a better mold. And I am not to concerned about tearing up a $20 mold modifying it. But in the future for any serious use, I will pay for better molds.

[ncrobb]

I have used LEE reloading products for almost 30 yrs but never considered casting my own until a .480 Ruger showed up at my house. I bought a Lee 476-400 and had to take a .454" sizing die and open it up to .476". I powder coated them and so far have been pleased with my results. I do have my name on the list for a Mihec 475/480 mold in the group buy. I also have a Lyman 429421 waiting for me when I get home. I am looking forward to comparing the results from theses to the LEE.

[oldblinddog]

Never had that junk! Never will!

[aap2]

Most of my moulds are MiHec,Accurate,NOE,Redding or Lyman but the Lee Moulds do have a useful place for some applications. For example I just bought a 1886 Steyer Kropatschek in 8x56R which is in great shape with a perfect bore and I wanted to shoot it. Ideal boolit would be a .326 round or flat nose GC weighing about 250 grains (has to be a long boolit to work thru the magazine). I bought a Lee 8mm Max from Midsouth for $18 and with a little work it drops .327 boolits of 245 grains with Lyman #2..a great boolit for this rifle. Sure, I did a little work on the Lee mould (removed and deburred the edges of the sprue plate and drilled and tapped a 10/32 hole to thread in a plug screw to keep the sprue plate screw tight but that was all I did). This $18 mould now drops great boolits and after I cast 100 it more than paid for itself. With proper care and lubrication I expect it to last a long time. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Tackleberry41]

Guess I will find out pretty quick which is the better value the Lee molds I have been fighting with, or the NOE. Ordered one for my 45s and one for my 44.

[Mal Paso]

I've got a bunch of Lee Mold Handles. They make molds too? You Sure? I've never seen one.:bigsmyl2:



True.

[leebuilder]

My first mold was a Lee, learned alot with that single 309-150 lee. Got three since. Beagled most to get better usable sizes.Got my moneys worth and quite happy, once i learned more. I prefer NOE now.

Never stop learning at this craft, passion and addictive hobby.
Be well.

[rsrocket1]

Wow, I gotta play the Lottery more.

I have six Lee 6 cavity molds, three 30 cal molds, two muzzle loader molds and a shotgun slug mold and they have all worked very well for me. My 40 cal 6 banger has made around 30,000 bullets and is still going strong. I do powder coat for that mold as well as with the 9mm molds but I use conventional lube and GC's on the 30 cal bullets and beeswax/Vaseline on the muzzle loader molds.

Twelve for twelve, I must be doing something wrong (or right). I would never accuse someone of operator error :violin:

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Lee has been a love/hate deal for aboutme, as with about 90% of the casters I know. Many started with them, but most of the guys interested in consistently round boolits soon switch to NOE or Accurate or older SAECO's or Lyman's.

I hate them. I don't make enough $$$ to play that Lottery.

[Littleton Shot Maker]

NOOOO.....if you GIVE me a Lee mold I will walk it over to the scrap pile. Too many that we had where not even round . as in matched up from both sides, sent it back, got one that was warped...NO .
this is circa 79-82??

Iron- steel is real. We Have Saeco, Lyman, RCBS and some other brand....goes with auto caster.....love the RCBS molds. Wanted to try the Hardline but too late to get those for me.
For my time and money NOW, these day...I would never get anything not Iron or more than 2 cavity. Would like to get some from Accurate . NEI used to make great stuff, No idea these days, Heard great things about NOE...Found a guy in Corvalis Or that does hollow point molds, need to check that out.

As I use the HAND CASTER these days the molds has to fit that machine- Tom (Accurate) makes what we need and has a huge selection to choose from. Will make custom too, or match up something you have now..good to talk to if you can but 99.9 % to 100% of the time you'll need to email him. 'He doesn't hear as good as he did before' and HE is very busy keeping up , his words not mine.

[EDG]

Maybe one of you experts with Lee molds can tell me how to make a 50-70 Lee mold cast .513 or .514 instead of .518..

[trapper9260]

I have different make of molds and i have Lee also and have not had any problems yet with them and I do like was stated before to get some from others that is not made by some but like NOE or Mil they had some I wants and got them when I could but for lee for what the money is for them .If they are undersize just make them work and go from there.That is what I would do.

[GhostHawk]

EDG sir it is called a push through sizer die.

Big is easy, undersized takes more work.

[Tackleberry41]

Guess found a really good reason to pay the extra money, the customer service. Lees answer to any question is...your in idiot, your doing something wrong.

I was trying to figure out who Night owl enterprises was on my caller Id after coming back from a cubscout camping trip w my son. Oh NOE molds. Been trying to get ahold of me as the 45 mold I ordered that was supposed to be in stock wasn't, but was willing to substitute a brass mold for the same price. So from now on unless I can find some compelling reason to buy a Lee mold, Ill stick w NOE, treat me good, Ill come back.

[Electric88]

Guess found a really good reason to pay the extra money, the customer service. Lees answer to any question is...your in idiot, your doing something wrong.

I was trying to figure out who Night owl enterprises was on my caller Id after coming back from a cubscout camping trip w my son. Oh NOE molds. Been trying to get ahold of me as the 45 mold I ordered that was supposed to be in stock wasn't, but was willing to substitute a brass mold for the same price. So from now on unless I can find some compelling reason to buy a Lee mold, Ill stick w NOE, treat me good, Ill come back.

I have never had an issue with Lee's customer service. In fact, they have bent over backwards to help me before without ever calling me an idiot... One time I broke one of the little arms on the primer tray cover by accident. I submitted the issue to Lee and the sent me a new one the next day. Sorry if you have had bad experiences with them though!

[Hannibal]

I have a Lee 2 cavity .358 mould that casts .007" out of round. And a .429 mould that casts .005" out of round.

But I knew the risks when I bought them.

When I have the $$$ I plan to replace them with Lymans. I have discovered along the way that I prefer iron moulds.

[RogerDat]

He who complains that a Chevy it lacks the refinement of his Cadillac leaves me confused. Lee makes molds that for the vast majority work fine at an affordable price. There are some projects those molds are the best choice for, other projects where money spent on premium equipment is well spent.

When I was an ignorant rookie twit at assorted skills I have picked up in my lifetime I never saw a whole lot of point to dropping a pile of money on the "best" equipment that far outstripped my skill and knowledge level. Dropping a $20 at Titan for a Lee mold that allows me to make a coffee can of cast boolits so the kid can have some light load 44 mags to take his kid shooting works better than spending $90 on a premium quality mold without any certainty that the mold will see much use after the first 500 bullets are cast with it. On the other hand for a precise fitting +200 grain 303 British mold I have my choice bookmarked on NOE web site. Same with a heavy .223 mold, need better than 60 grain bullet for fast twist. Casting those with intended use at longer ranges makes them a bit more critical than my .38 SWC for paper punching out of a snubbie at short range. I find it no big deal to crank out plenty from a two cavity Lee mold. I do have a WC mold for that same snubbie that is Lyman - both work, one cost less, the other was a unique profile I wanted so worth paying more for.

I call it getting Good Value for the money - not always provided by the most expensive or by the cheapest choice. There is also the law of diminishing returns. Doubling the cost generally does not double the quality or usability. More like it gets 20% better for twice as much money. Want something 10% better than that? Double the cost again. Lee dies $35, RCBS $60, Redding over $100. Is Redding better than Lee? Is three times the price worth that much improvement to you? My guess is the paper target don't care.

[Hannibal]

If it works for you and your situation, then I am happy for you.

To presume everyone else's situation and skill level matches yours is simply presumptuous. It is equally presumptuous to infer that operator error or lack of sufficient skills are the reasons for product dissatisfaction.

If you have never purchased a product you have found to be unsatisfactory, then rejoice, for yours is indeed a charmed life. I find that I have not been so blessed.

Products are made in various price ranges and performance levels BECAUSE not everyone's skill level and situation are the same.

Does not matter if we are discussing automobiles, firearms, bullet moulds or roller skates.

[Motor]

I don't consider my "relationship" with Lee products as love/hate. As a machinist it's more of confusion than love or hate.
Their latest design is a very good case in point. I like the new alignment pins they seem like a real improvement over the old design. BUT they decreased the "mass" of the mould which makes it even more difficult to keep it at a good casting temperature.
Someone else posted above about good design and poor execution or poor choice of material.
My latest 2 Lee moulds drop undersized boolits too. One is usable since I started powder coating the other needs beagling to work. As someone else posted above "big is not a problem" small is.

Is it really too much to ask that the mould drops boolits at least the size it's supposed to be. If I was making them none would drop small boolits. I think it just shows lack of interest to the needs of the end user. Or a total lack of quality control. Either way Lee needs to do a better job.

If they had to charge a few extra dollars to guarantee that the mould would drop the size printed on the box it would be worth it.

Motor

[Tackleberry41]

Is it really too much to ask that the mould drops boolits at least the size it's supposed to be. If I was making them none would drop small boolits. I think it just shows lack of interest to the needs of the end user. Or a total lack of quality control. Either way Lee needs to do a better job.

If they had to charge a few extra dollars to guarantee that the mould would drop the size printed on the box it would be worth it.

Motor

This is pretty much my issue. I do not think it is to much to ask that a mold sold as .452 will drop a .452 bullet. Or that a mold sold by a company for use in casting bullets, can then be sized by that same companies tool. Would it really cost anything to simply machine that hole a little bigger?



I don't consider my "relationship" with Lee products as love/hate. As a machinist it's more of confusion than love or hate.
Their latest design is a very good case in point. I like the new alignment pins they seem like a real improvement over the old design. BUT they decreased the "mass" of the mould which makes it even more difficult to keep it at a good casting temperature.
Someone else posted above about good design and poor execution or poor choice of material.
My latest 2 Lee moulds drop undersized boolits too. One is usable since I started powder coating the other needs beagling to work. As someone else posted above "big is not a problem" small is.

There is not much material in a Lee mold, especially the new ones. You want mass in something like this. They will probably try to claim its an 'improvement'. When the reality is they have a choice of raising to cost of the mold a little, Im sure they have bean counters saying they will loose x amount of sales. So instead of raising prices a little due to rising labor and material costs. They simply cut corners by using less material. Any less material and the screws for the handles would fall out. The holes bulge as it is now. They are right at the edge of the handles, set I took apart, the hole is almost pulled out the side.


MY NOE came in, not much point in using the 430 Lee mold, the NOE drops such beautiful bullets with so little effort, size perfectly.

[Grampo]

New caster here, bought my first mold, a brand new Lee 6 cavity .452 200gr SWC, after about 150 rounds, the handle to the sprue plate just broke off when I was trying to open it. I've been a long time reloader, knew better to not buy a Lee, but was suckered by the price... Now to see if they will replace it.

[dubber123]

New caster here, bought my first mold, a brand new Lee 6 cavity .452 200gr SWC, after about 150 rounds, the handle to the sprue plate just broke off when I was trying to open it. I've been a long time reloader, knew better to not buy a Lee, but was suckered by the price... Now to see if they will replace it.

They probably will. It is about 99.999% of the time caused by letting the sprue get too cold before opening. It should require about 1 fingers worth of effort. I have probably 25 6 cavity LEEs, and some have at least 30,000 boolits to their credit. I have never broken a lever. No, not a LEE fan boy, I prefer LBT's at this point. Just credit where credit is due.

[Airman Basic]

Might have missed it, but the Lee product I can't live without is the 6 cav mold handles. They fit everything, and once I fill the wooden handle with Gorilla glue, they're pretty much bulletproof. Love the things. And yes, have several molds, also.

[Dragonheart]

Tackleberry, you have made a wise decision.

[RogerDat]

Never had that junk! Never will!

This is the one I don't get. Never tried it but is sure it is "junk". I guess I have more time than money to spend on my hobby. I can do the minor edge cleanup rather than shelling out an extra $60 and paying for handles in order to avoid it.

Bad bullet sizes from alloy specified as casting that size is not acceptable, out of round is not acceptable. I figure contacting the seller or Lee is how one deals with clearly defective equipment. And some items (cough * scales * cough) are just not that well executed. However a lot of what they produce is very functional, and that includes the molds at a price point that works in the market place. If it did not then they would not be in business.

Over and over again on Midway when sorting by popularity or review ratings several Lee items end up on the top. Must be doing something right.

[robg]

ive got lee molds and rcbs molds .i must admit the rcbs casts easier than the lees but the lighter weight of the ally verses the cast iron helps me cast a lot longer before my wrists give out on me.they both make boolits that shoot well.

[mold maker]

Those that are sure they can't/won't cast with LEE molds are welcome to send them to me.
I'll be more than happy to wear them out, (if I live that long) making boolits that targets and game won't complain about. Over half my molds came in boxes with LEE in bold red print. The few problems I've had were quickly fixed by me, or LEE.
The money I've saved paid for 2 more guns which love the LEE cast boolits.
Maybe I'm just lucky, but I seriously doubt it.

[Dragonheart]

Lee does make some very useable tools that I use; like their push through sizing dies, bulge buster dies to name a couple. And yes if you just want to try bullet casting Lee molds will get you in the game as cheap as it gets, but that is where it ends, as the quality is just not there. Just as there are handloaders that are just happy to hear a round go bang and not boom and have a bullet land in a general area. Then there are handloaders that want to see a one hold groups in the center of a target as repeatable accuracy and precision is their goal. If one is in the latter group you don't get there without the best equipment and Lee molds just don't make the grade.

[flint45]

I have 10 Lee molds mix of new and old all have been very good the big .50 cal rifle mold is great in my 50-70 roller.

[iraiam]

I have several Lee molds, IMO their newer molds are better quality than they used to be. My first Lee mold several years ago was a 2 cavity 429 240 grain SWC, One of the holes had an edge on it that held in every bullet pretty tightly, I was forced to "lap" the mold to get it working. I have since worn that mold out and have a 6 cavity now, the 2 cavity is still usable, but it's so worn that it doesn't close correctly without a lot of help getting the blocks lined up so it slows the casting process way down.

I don't consider them top quality molds, but I believe they are priced accurately for what they are and can accomplish. I have definitely sent some good bullets down range that were cast with Lee molds.

[Dragonheart]

My take on Lee molds is pretty simple. I think they are great for someone who just wants to try casting with a minimum investment, because I know there are lots of closets & garages fill with items that seemed to be a good idea at the time. As for me I can see and measure the difference in the bullets produced by my NOE & Saeco molds vs my Lee molds. Since I am into casting for the long haul, the quality of my bullet and the accuracy of my loads is a priority with me. As far as price goes goes, a lifetime brass or steel mold is just a few bucks more. Life is too short to go through it without the best molds.

[.30 Rem]

I find the lee molds similar to all the lee reloading equipment. Inexpensive and capable of producing quality results when used properly after following their instructions. Not the heaviest fastest or most expensive, but are quite adaquiitt for the job and an excellent value. Their customer service is excellent and they will custom build for an extra charge.

[Seeker]

All of my equipment is Lee. I chose Lee as a beginner because of price and I have no regrets. My single stage presses have made 1000s of rnds. and have never let me down. I could afford more expensive but see no need. As for casting....once again I chose Lee. My boolits are accurate and pretty. Any trouble I've had has been due to operater error and has been rectified by following instructions and asking questions here at castboolits. If Lee molds are so inferior, than why would you steer a newbie in that direction? Seems he's gonna have quite a time getting the hang of it as it is without tellin' him to start with junk.

[Geezer in NH]

Maybe one of you experts with Lee molds can tell me how to make a 50-70 Lee mold cast .513 or .514 instead of .518..I will pay shipping and 20 bucks for that mold PM me

[clum553946]

My take on Lee molds is pretty simple. I think they are great for someone who just wants to try casting with a minimum investment, because I know there are lots of closets & garages fill with items that seemed to be a good idea at the time. As for me I can see and measure the difference in the bullets produced by my NOE & Saeco molds vs my Lee molds. Since I am into casting for the long haul, the quality of my bullet and the accuracy of my loads is a priority with me. As far as price goes goes, a lifetime brass or steel mold is just a few bucks more. Life is too short to go through it without the best molds.
I agree, you get what you pay for.

[ELFEGO BACA]

I have or had a 'bunch' of molds - Hensley&Gibbs, Ideal, Lee 6 cavity, RCBS, Saeco,Saeco Redding, NOE, and????.
They all work for me.

[SSGOldfart]

I've got almost every mold Lee has cataloged this year,never had any more trouble with them then any other,except NOE Molds and I've never had a problem with one or Al's molds.

[MtGun44]

Lee molds are usually quite serviceable, all of mine have worked well. Some
boolit designs aren't too good, but the molds while more fragile due to being
aluminum, and possibly needing deburring slightly, are good, serviceable
molds.

[rbuck351]

I have a bunch of Lee molds most of which work pretty good. The only real problem I have had is the bore rider rifle molds. Simply put they don't touch the bore. A nose on a 308 cast boolit should be at least .300 not .295 Out of the 5 or 6 bore riders that I have, the closest is .002 under on the nose. With one exception, all the Lee pistol molds I have work well. Actually all the pistol molds I have work well because I gave away the one exception. It was a .358 158gr GC SWC. It cast boolits that looked good and measured good but would go through the paper sideways at 50'. Never did figure that one out.

[Dragonheart]

The posts of those using Lee molds are making the points of why I don't use Lee molds anymore. The aluminium is fragile and easily damaged, certainly not a mold material for someone who is into casting for the long haul. The first Lee mold I purchased had burrs on the sprue cutter that gouged the top of the mold. After that I deburred the sprue cutter first thing on new molds before using. The mold blocks don't fit together like a quality mold. The blocks align and fit so well on my NOE Brass Molds and my old Saeco Steel Molds that you hardly see a mold line. But my big complaint is the Lee bullets cavities vary, even in the same multi cavity mold, so if you run two molds simultaneously as I do you can see why I no longer use Lee molds.

If you just want a round to go bang then using Lee molds makes no difference, they make a bullet and it will come out of the barrel. But if you shoot for accuracy as I do, uniform bullets make a difference. Producing a consistently accurate cartridges is a combination of little things.

[bangerjim]

+++++++++++++ for Lee molds++++++++++++++

Just got a (new) 6 cavity 429 200gn RF mold from them and, after NOT cleaning & scrubbing and scrubbing and leaning it, smoking it with a beeswax candle, lubing with 2 cycle blue oil, preheating it to FULL (very important!) casting temp, it dropped perfect boolits from the 1st pour. The boolits almost jump out of the cavities! No burrs or hangups at all.

I cast 600+ boolits and had ZERO culls. All are perfectly round, perfectly shaped, dead on size, and ready to PC.

They still do know how to make good quality usable molds. I would recommend them to anyone needing a mold in their available sizes, designs, and cal's.

And still have $$ left over for lunch............AND dinner!

bangerjim

[rbuck351]

Yep, I have had very good results with Lee molds with the exception of the nose riders. All my 6cav molds work great. I wish they would make some Loverin designs.

2 Dec. I just got my newest Lee mold. It's a 459-405HB. Trouble is it measures from .451 up to .457 depending on where you measure it and it's about .002 out of alignment. Most of the under size is 90 degrees to the parting line so I added 3 strips of foil tape stacked on each side of the cavity but it's starting to fin a bit now and it's still only about .457 with one spot about .455. Still not what I would call usable but I tried a few anyway. Grouped about 6" to 8" at 50yds. I made a .4585 die for my Swag-O-Matic and mashed some into a 395gr swc. These shoot about .8" at 50yds. Good thing they don't cost much and that I have a way to fix the ones that cast poorly. I have had very good luck with all my Lee pistol molds and nothing but bad with Lee rifle molds.